MS was waiting for coffee as he sits on a baby stool for more than 45 minutes as he saw the chef cum waitress cum owner of the coffee soap struggling in the kitchen. well... No.. she wasn't struggling for 45 mins, she ran out for half an hour as it is her cartoon break and came back just before 10 mins and started her struggle again.
Finally, the waitress brought his coffee with a polite smile... well, cold coffee or coffee which turned cold, whatever you call it. Coffee isn't that bad. Service could have been better but he doesn't mind waiting though. Not especially when the waitress cum chef is so cute.
"How was the coffee, sir?" The waitress asked maintaining here professional decorum.
"It is lovely madam. Just the way I wanted it. Thank you." MS replied smiling sweetly.
"Here is the bill, Papa," Ziva spoke still in the polite voice as she forwarded the bill.
"Papaaa?" MS asked smiling. She made him say the sentence again for calling her Ziva, not madam.
"Oppps... I forgot." Ziva giggled with a hand on her mouth dropping her act.
"You will always forget," MS spoke as he picked her up and started tickling making her laugh out aloud.
They went out to the lawn where Sakshi lead casually on the ground clicking pictures of Zoya and Liya as they are only living beings in the house who don't get frustrated just by seeing her camera.
"Maybe even they get frustrated... but they don't have an option." Sakshi thought with an evil laugh in her head.
"I will go get my drawing book Papa," Ziva shouted as she ran in.
"Done with your coffee-coffee?" Sakshi asked as MS lied on the grass beside her.
"Finally..." MS signed. "But it was fun."
"Fun because you won't have to sit on that chair waiting... DAILY" Sakshi stressed.
"We could try and attract her to play something else maybe...where we don't have to just sit probably?" MS suggested.
"Sitting is easier. Isn't it?" Sakshi asked, smiling making MS roll his eyes.
"We don't have to do anything though. She will herself lose interest in one or 2 months. no use of trying anything before that." Sakshi said as started clicking the pic of grass now.
"How do you know?" MS asked curiously.
"Wow... perfect lighting. Should I click you mahi?" She asked excitedly
MS just pushed her phone aside as if he is shooing a bee.
"Boring human." She cursed under her breath.
"How do you know?" MS repeated his question.
"It's just one of those games which she liked too much, play daily, get bored and never do again. it's not the first. Before this hide and seek, run-run, barbie-barbie, poem-poem... many actually." She explained.
"I missed a lot of her... didn't I?" MS asked with a sad smile.
"Not really, You just missed those games which would bore us 100 times before she gets bored of them." She said to cheer him up.
"And by the way, Now you have to worry more about not boring her by staying home too long." She teased.
"She didn't get bored of you... No way she would get bored of me." MS countered.
"What do you mean by that? You are the boring person here not me." Sakshi spoke.
MS shakes his head ignoring her as usual as he took out his mobile to check his mails. Ziva joined them with her drawing book and starts her drawing by keeping the book on Mahi's back.
"You would need a hard surface to draw Ziva," MS said.
"Oh yaa I forgot." She put her writing pad on below her drawing book on his back.
"Now its hard papa," she said with a smile and continued her drawing.
Sakshi chuckled as MS signed. last time he didn't let her draw with a book on his back because she can't come on uneven surface properly, so she came up with this Idea now... Ufff.
MS went back into checking his mails. Many were regarding his new farming business but one mail made him frown. It was from BCCI.
"A mail from BCCI." he spoke with a frown gaining Sakshi's attention.
"About?" She asked.
"It says I'm shortlisted for the post of mental health counsellor for the Indian cricket team... Asks to send confirmation if I want to join?" MS said still in confusion.
"You applied?" Sakshi asked equally confused.
MS shrugged nodding no. Ziva put her pad down on the ground and started drawing as Papa moving too much.
"They didn't mention the job profile. It just says you are shortlisted and send a confirmation mail." MS spoke as he patted on Ziva's head.
" You sure it's official mail? not Virat or jaddu messing around?" Sakshi asked.
MS chuckled at the confidence in Sakshi's voice.
"No...It's not. I checked." He confirmed.
"You will call dada and ask what is that about?" Sakshi suggested.
"Or maybe I will just ignore. Today is the last day for sending confirmation anyway." MS decided as he came out of the mail.
"When was the mail sent?" Sakshi asked.
"4 days back," MS answered.
"So? Not going for it?" Sakshi probed.
"Of course not. I can't go for something which I have no idea about in such short notice. And most importantly I'm not looking for anything as of now." MS confirmed. Shakshi nodded understanding.
"And also... I have this farming business to take care of." MS added seriously making Sakshi roll her eyes.
It is always poor Chittu who manages everything about farming. Well MS, he does spend a lot of time in time in farm and or moving around markets with Chittu. But Chittu claims most of the time MS is either eating his brain or strawberries.
MS phone rang. "Cheeku" MS informed as he picked up the call.
"Hello, Cheeku... Jinksy?" Sakshi heard MS voice.
"You went to Cheeku's place Jinksy?" MS asked as he got up and signalled Sakshi that he is going in.
"Cheeku Chachu and Jinks Chachu?" Ziva asked excitedly.
"It might be an important baby. So only, papa went in. we will can in evening ok?" Sakshi coaxed her and Ziva nodded.
"Good girl," Sakshi said. "Now show mumma what you have drawn."
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"You went to Cheeku's place Jinksy?" MS asked as he got up and signalled Sakshi that he is going in.
"Hmm... No Bhai.. it's... It's a conference call." Came Rohit's voice.
"Ok? Is everything fine? You guy's sound low." MS asked concerned.
"Bhaiii... woh...." Virat trailed off.
"Haa cheeku... I'm listening." MS asked patiently.
"uff... These kids what did they mess up now. Hope nothing big." MS thought worried.
"Bhai... woh actually... we have to tell you something important," Ash spoke.
"Ash? who all are in the call?" MS asked.
"Me, Virat, Rohit, Ash, Jaddu," Jinksy said nervously.
"Ok. so what's the matter?" MS asked anxiously. Jaddu being in the call and not howling till now shows that matter is serious.
"Tell me fast cheeku," MS repeated impatiently.
"Bhaiii... Did you see the mail from BCCI?" Ash asked anxiously.
"So... It's you guys messing around?" MS asked signing in relief. It's ntg big at least.
"We are not messing around," Ro spoke sounding offended.
"What else do you call sending me a joining mail to a non-existing position," MS asked sternly.
"No... No... No bhai... You are getting us wrong. This is not a non-existing position. BCCI legit released the notification for it. And you applied..." Virat started explaining.
"Cheeku," MS said sternly.
"He means... We applied it...for you." Jinks added hastily.
"Bhai... it has to be you or someone else. Who can be better for that position than you?" Ash pointed out.
"What if some random person starts being our mental health counsellor and he starts having mental health issues," Jaddu spoke in jadduish way.
"He won't. If you don't try anything smart. Jadeja." MS replied in the same tone.
"I may not.... or may," Jaddu said sheepishly.
" Jaddu." sternly
"Bhaiii... please na... when I asked you to return, you said, you would see." Rohit tried.
"But I didn't say that you guys apply for a random post and I would just get into it. did I?" MS snapped.
"What do I know about being mental health counsellor in the first place? how am I qualified?" MS asked quite pissed.
"But you know us Bhai... In and out." Jinks spoke quietly.
"Last time I checked at least you were sensible jinks." MS snapped again.
"But bhai you are qualified. You even have a certificate of being mental helper from a reputed university." Jaddu boasted. All 4 facepalmed.
"What?" Ms asked confused.
"You created fake certificates too?" MS asked really pissed.
"No... I mean... Ya... but no. They don't see the face of student in online classes. So I registered in your name, heard the classes and cleared the exam. No one can ever prove that it is me not you. so you can't call it fake because you can't prove it." Ash explained.
"Ash..." MS signed.
"Bhaiii, trust me... those classes are no good. Noone would become counsellor by listening to those stupid classes. You are better of without them. really." Ash spoke out.
"Bhai... Please bhaiii... " Virat winced.
"There is no point in discussing Virat. I'm not joining. I'm not looking for anything currently." MS spoke in finality.
"Bhaiii... kids will be so disappointed. Kuliya, Yuzi was so excited that you gonna join us again." jinks tried.
"Should have thought before creating hopes for them with his stupid plan jinks," MS spoke.
"Bhaii..."Ash tried again.
"How many times you ask my answer is gonna be the same, Ash. I... I'm not looking for anything now. You can't expect me to join in a full-time job just like that. you think it's funny but It's not." MS spoke sternly and cut the call.
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"You know you should just go for it if you want to," Sakshi said as she saw MS sitting on the bed thinking something.
"What makes you think that I want to?" MS asked frowning.
"both of us know that you won't be thinking so much if you don't want to Mahi." Sakshi spoke. "but what I don't know is what exactly is stopping you from going for it."
"Hmm... I don't know actually. mostly because I'm not prepared. if they have told me about the that before instead of doing everything themselves then maybe... and also..." he trailed off.
"and also?" Sakshi probed.
"It would be the same as it was before. I should be travelling with the team most of the time. being not available mostly. so... you ok with it?" MS asked making Sakshi smile.
"Hmm...honestly, don't you think you have been a bit unfair on them? They were still that nightmare of loss when you left them and they were hoping that you would be back all those months and then you suddenly announced. And they had no other option but accept that you won't." Sakshi explained.
"Sakshi..." MS signed.
"No Mahi, I understand your reasons, I'm sure even they do. I'm just trying to see where their desperation is coming from. they are so desperate to have you back. And I'm sure you wouldn't be thinking so hard if don't wanna go with the same desperation." Sakshi spoke. "Maybe this time... you come out when the tenure ends with prior intimation and properly preparing them and yourself that you won't travel with them anymore. I'm sure I would help you and them."
"And about me and Ziva being ok with it... We are ofc if you promise us to be a bit more regular with the phone," she added making MS smile.
"I don't know what I would have done without you," MS said lovingly feeling all mushy about how much she understands him
"Aww... My cutie... repeat that again." She spoke out excited as she pops up her phone at MS's face as if recording it.
MS rolled his eyes as he messed her hair before walking out of the room ignoring she screaming, "It took 45 mins for me make thi hairstyle mahiiii...arrgggg"
MS sat on the sofa with a smile as he took out his phone and messaged in their group.
"So when should your new mental health counsellor should join you guys?"
knowing that his phone would ring in 2 mins and it did.